Happy to be Alive, Because by Chelsea Jacobs

going shopping…I chose a less gaudy still obnoxious heart necklace that said ‘Forever and Always.’ I promptly put the other one around her neck. She was “Forever.” I was “and Always.” –Avery age 7 “The last thing I remember seeing on my mother was that shiny, silly Forever necklace.” –Avery age 17

Avery finds a travel itinerary for herself and her mother while cleaning her mother’s room after her funeral. Avery decides to make the trip to the beach town of Glynn Springs, Florida alone in order to find peace within her heart and mind along with her aunt’s encouragement.

Arriving in Glynn Springs and settling in her room, Avery unpacks items from her mother’s satchel and finds a journal in addition to postcards each leading with the sentence “I’m happy to be alive because.” Her mother left the postcards expressing what made her happy to be alive and wanted Avery to learn what makes her happy to be alive every day. Avery attempts to follow her mother’s lead by completing her first journal with “I am happy to be alive because the sweet teat at Loeb’s is actually really good.”

As Avery ventures about town, she meets Rob and he escorts her around town introducing her to new friends Major and his sister Lily in the beach community. Avery and Rob form a comfortable friendship and she is able to express feelings about her mother’s passing. Avery and her new friends spend time together bringing out the personality Avery never knew she had. Everything is moving along splendidly after learning she has a beach house left by her mom’s will until Avery becomes aware of a situation and information concerning her mother that Rob held to himself.

Happy to be Alive, Because is a novel that brings attention to the subject of grieving one endures and how support of other persons facilitates the healing process. The novel is slow moving in the very beginning but steadily regains speed towards the middle of the book through to the end of the novel. I recommend this book to avid readers of the family drama genre who like reading about family tragedy situations and true friendships.

I received this book free from the Litfuse Publicity Group for an honest and unbiased opinion.